‘Oku taupotu ‘i lalo ha fakamatala fakaTonga
Antiviral medications ordered by the government may not be available until after the peak of the Omicron outbreak – if they get approval.
Pfizer in the making of its Covid-19 antiviral pills, Paxlovid, in Germany in 2021. Photo: Handout / Pfizer / AFP
The government announced last year it had advanced purchase agreements for 60,000 doses each of Molnupiravir, manufactured by Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), and Paxlovid, made by Pfizer, but neither is approved for use here yet.
The new antivirals have been hailed as a game changer for Covid-19 if given in the first five days of infection and are aimed at those most at risk of getting very sick or developing complications.
Overseas trials found Pfizer’s Paxlovid cut the chance of hospitalisation by 89 percent.
In New Zealand, Paxlovid is still going through the Medsafe approval process, while MSD has not yet sought approval for Molnupiravir.
Royal NZ College of GPs medical director Bryan Betty said the approval process must happen as quickly as was safely possible.
“The sooner we have the ducks lined up and approval … the better off we’ll be,” he said.
But even if the drugs arrived too late for this outbreak, they would still be invaluable in winter when cases could rise again, he said.
The 120,000 doses on order may not be enough and the government should consider ordering more, he said.
The Ministry of Health said Pfizer had just submitted more data for approval and it was likely that would be considered by its expert advisory group in mid-February.
If it was then approved, it would be well in advance of the timeline for supply, a ministry spokesperson said.
That was expected to be April.
Paxlovid was approved under emergency use rules in the United States last month.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
‘Oku lava ke ma’u ‘a e fo’i’akau ‘enitivailolo ki he Koviti ki he kakai ‘oku nau puke he vailasi.
Ko e fo’i’akau ko eni ke folo ia ‘i loto ‘i he ‘aho nima ‘o ‘ene kamata ‘asi’. ‘Oku fakafuofua ‘e a’u ki he taha miliona e kakai ‘e lava ken au faito’o heni’.
Mei lahi foki e kakai Pasifiki mo Mauli ‘oku ‘i ai honau ngaahi mahaki tauhi kau ki heni mo e kau Kiwi matu’otu’a ange’ pea ‘e lava ke lahi ange faingamalie ken au mate mei he Koviti’.
Fakatatau ki he Potungaue Mo’ui kuo ‘osi fakamo’oni’i ‘a e tokoni ‘a e faito’o kona fakangofua (drugs) ke ne fakasi’isi’i ‘a e tokoto fale mahaki mo e mate’.
The three anti-virals available are Nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (branded as Paxlovid), Molnupiravir (branded as Lagevrio) and Rremdesivir, an infusion treatment (branded as Veklury).
Ko e Paxlovid ‘oku fa’u ia ‘e he Faisa. Na’e pehe ‘e ha lipooti ‘a e New Zealand Herald na’e fa’u ‘eni ke ne fakasi’isi’i ‘a e fakatu’utāmaki ‘e ala fakatokoto ai ‘i fale mahaki pe mate ‘i he vailasi ‘e ala a’u ki he pēseti ‘e 86.
Ko e tafa’aki kovi ‘o e faito’o’ ni ‘e kau ai ‘a e ongo’i mamatea, fakalele, lahi ange ‘a e toto mā’olunga mo e langa ‘a e uoua’. Ko e ngaahi ola ‘eni kuo taku ‘o pehē ‘oku tō lotoloto pe.
Lolotonga ‘a e hoko ‘a e huhu malu’i ko e to’omotafi taha ia ke ne malu’i ‘a e Koviti 19, ‘oku fakaai ‘e he antivirual ha ngaahi faito’o malu’i hono ua kia kinautolu ‘oku tu’u he tu’unga fakatu’utanaki.
Kuopau ke ma’u ‘e he kakai ‘a e faka’ilonga ‘o e Koviti pe tesi positive he Koviti pe ‘i ai ha taha honau fale’ ne ma’u ‘e he Koviti’ kae lava ke toki ma’u ha’ane fo’i’akau ‘enitivailolo.
‘E lava ke ma’u foki ‘e he kakai ‘a e ‘enitīvailolo ko ‘eni’ kapau kuo ma’u ‘a e mahaki tauhi hangē ko e kanisā, mahaki’ia ‘a e ma’ama’a pe halanga mānava’, mafu hangē ko e mahaki ki he halanga toto mo e lumetiki, konisenitolo, suka pe mahaki’ia ‘a e kofuua’, ne ‘osi ‘ave kinautolu ki ha tokangaeikina’anga mahaki tuunga ‘i hano tesi positive kinautolu ‘i he Koviti’.
‘E lava ke ma’u ‘a e pelesikulipisini ko ‘eni mei he toketā fakafamili’ pe ‘e lava pe ma’u ‘ikai ha pelesikulipisini.
